Francis Ngannou recently weighed in on a potential fight against Jon Jones, and claimed the exhilarating heavyweight matchup could happen.
'The Predator' also said while he was keen on fighting 'Bones,' it would require the UFC to meet him halfway.
Before his shocking exit from the UFC earlier this year, Ngannou was highly touted to be the one to welcome Jones back after his three-year hiatus.
It was believed Jones would challenge Ngannou for the heavyweight title at the end of last year, but that highly anticipated matchup never materialized. Jones beat Ciryl Gane a few months later to win the vacant heavyweight championship.
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In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Francis Ngannou gave fans a new glimmer of hope. The Cameroonian addressed his recent run-in with Jones at a PFL event and said:
"I know it's a fight that can happen if the UFC decides to give that fight to the fans. That fight is always there, and it can always happen.
They just have to compromise a little bit... You never know. People change, bro... If I had one fight left in my MMA career, I'd hope it would be Jon."
Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones: Manager confirms 'The Predator' wants to face 'Bones'
Francis Ngannou's manager Marquel Martin recently opened up about his client's eagerness to face Jon Jones, and confirmed they were more than willing to make it happen.
In some recent interviews, UFC president Dana White dismissed the idea of co-promoting the Ngannou vs. Jones super fight with the PFL.
While White has also previously claimed the Cameroonian's financial demands were hard to meet, the UFC has consistently refused to go down the co-promotion route to make fights.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Martin confirmed Francis Ngannou could fight Jon Jones if the UFC allowed it, saying:
"I think it’s still a possibility. I know sometimes, maybe, cooler heads prevail. I’m hoping that Dana somehow sees this. Like, we want to make that fight. Like, let's do that fight! The world deserves and wants to see that fight.
Again, he’s one of the greatest promoters out there. We are not the ones saying no to that fight. Just know that."
Watch the full interview below:
Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou is set to face Tyson Fury in the boxing ring on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Jon Jones is slated to face Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight title fight at UFC 295 on November 12.